Finger millet: Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is an important subsistence cereal grown mainly in the relatively dry areas of Western and Lake Basin regions of Kenya. The cereal is traditionally used for making foods like thin porridge (Uji), stiff porridge (Ugali) and local brew (Busaa).
Finger millet can be stored for as long as ten years without use of insecticides. It has small seeds which dry out quickly and insects cannot fit inside them.
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| Finger millet farm |
Millet Varieties - Some varieties that were developed at Serere in Uganda, are high yielding and resistant to lodging and blast. The latest varieties include ultra lupin and OATS.
Conditions favoring Finger millet farming
-Finger millet can tolerate drought in the early stages of growth but after the first month it requires a good supply of moisture.
-It is commonly grown in areas receiving 900 mm of rainfall annually.
-It grows well from sea level to 2400 m above sea level.
-It requires fertile free draining soils.
-It is commonly grown in areas receiving 900 mm of rainfall annually.
-It grows well from sea level to 2400 m above sea level.
-It requires fertile free draining soils.
Planting materials - The harvested grains are sun dried, threshed, winnowed and then stored for use as seeds. Certified seeds can also be bought from the Kenya Seed Company.
Land Preparation
The seedbed should be thoroughly prepared to a fine tilth because the seeds are very tiny and are usually broadcasted. The other reason is that weed control in finger millet is very difficult and thorough seedbed preparation reduces weed competition.
The seedbed should be thoroughly prepared to a fine tilth because the seeds are very tiny and are usually broadcasted. The other reason is that weed control in finger millet is very difficult and thorough seedbed preparation reduces weed competition.
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| Young finger millet heads |
Planting Finger millet
1.Planting - Finger millet should be planted as early as possible in the season. The earlier it is sown the higher the yields. It is usually broadcasted by hand. If planted in rows, the furrows should be 30-33 cm apart and the plants should be thinned to 5 cm apart within the rows. It is commonly grown in pure stands.
2.Weed control - This is done manually because finger millet is very closely spaced and a jembe cannot be used. Thorough seedbed preparation and sowing in rows reduces the labour required for weeding. Eleusine Africana and Eleusine Indica are common weeds found in finger millet fields. They are difficult to distinguish from the crop in the early stages of growth.
3.Fertilizer Application - The recommended rate is 125 kg/ha of sulphate of ammonia. It is applied when the crop is 15 cm high. This can give an increase in yield from 450-900 kg/ha.
Pest and Disease Control
1.Pests - Finger millet is rarely destroyed by pests in store because of their small size. The major pests are in the field are the birds. They can be controlled through scaring them off.
1.Pests - Finger millet is rarely destroyed by pests in store because of their small size. The major pests are in the field are the birds. They can be controlled through scaring them off.
2.Diseases - The most serious disease of finger millet is the head blast which is caused by fungus Piricularia 0ryzae.
It is common under hot and humid conditions like those found in western Kenya. It causes brown spots with grey centres, on the leaves, the stems are affected below the inflorescence. Control is by planting resistant varieties
It is common under hot and humid conditions like those found in western Kenya. It causes brown spots with grey centres, on the leaves, the stems are affected below the inflorescence. Control is by planting resistant varieties
Harvesting Finger millet - Hand knives are used for cutting individual heads. The heads are then dried, threshed and winnowed. With proper husbandry, yields of 1650 kg per hectare can be obtained.
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| Ripe finger millet heads |
Storage and Marketing - The grains are dried and stored in bags. Finger millet is mainly grown for subsistence and only a little is sold in the local markets.
Factors contributing to the decline - In production include competition with other enterprises at the farm level. Marketing organization and commercial utilization of finger millet are not as developed as other cereals such as maize and wheat.
There is a potential to increase production and utilization of finger millet in Kenya. To realize this potential, research work to increase yield and food quality needs to be supported and strengthened. An efficient marketing system needs to be developed and the use of finger millet in commercial food products needs to be explored and developed.
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